DESC:TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure relates to a air vent snap protecting device for air conditioning system of a vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Air conditioning (AC) system of the vehicle includes rear AC system provided in an inner side of the body of the vehicle. The cool air generated by the rear AC system is provided to the vehicle cabin through air vents configured at different places of the vehicle cabin. Air vents are provided in Rear Quarter Trim (RQT) that are attached to the air duct receiving air from the rear AC system. Rear AC system, duct are placed in a body that is fitted with RQT. It has been observed that while assembling RQT to body in white (BIW), foam duct collidess to air vent and pushes the air vent out of the Rear Quarter Trim.
Further it may cause misalignment of the air vent affecting the flow of air in desired direction thereby affecting the overall cooling of the vehicle cabin. Further, prolonged contineuation of misalignment of the air vent may leads to damage of the inner parts of the air vent and whole AC system.
Accordingly, there is a need for an arrangement to avoid collision of foam duct with air vent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a air vent snap protecting device for Air Conditioning (AC) system of a vehicle. The system comprises a rear AC unit that generates cool air. A duct receives cool air from the rear AC unit. A Body In White (BIW) is placed at first side of the duct. A Rear Quarter Trim part (RQT) is placed at second side of the duct. an air vent configured at outlet portion of the duct. A snap bridge & Protector is integrated to the RQTpart at a contact portion of the the air vent. The snap protecting device comprises a snap bridge for avoiding deflection of the air vent and a protector for protecting air vent from direct contact with the duct.
The air vent snap protecting device has U shape. The air vent snap protecting device comprise a horizontal snap bridge having a pair of protector arms positioned in vertical configuration at ends of the snap bridge. The snap bridge fits in contact with a bottam surface of a rear edge of the air vent and the protector fits contacting a side and top surface of the rear edge of the air vent. The snap bridge is contactless with snap fit of the air vent. An end portions of the protector arms have angled projections. The air vent snap protecting device is made up of flexible material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 shows exploaded view of AC system of the present invention;
FIG. 2 shows side view of the the system of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 shows positioning of a air vent snap protecting device in the system shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 shows exploaded view of the system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 shows rear perspective view of an air vent snap protecting device of the system of FIG.1;
FIG. 6 shows rear view of an air vent unit of the system of FIG. 1 and cross sectional views at marked sections; and
Fig. 7 shows shows rear view of an air vent unit of the system of FIG. 1 and cross sectional views at marked sections.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present disclosure, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Embodiments are provided so as to thoroughly and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the person skilled in the art. Numerous details are set forth relating to specific components to provide a complete understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.

The present invention relates to load sensitive snap bridge in RQT to allow air vent snap deflection to target limit and enable serviceability to the airvent snap. The present invention provides an unique Protector feature in RQT part to avoid snap collision with duct during assembly. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the snap protecting deviceis a support member made of flexible material placed in RQT part to acommodate the airvent snap deflection without failure. The Snap bridge ensures that the duct does not hit to the airvent snap and also gives support to the snap to avoid demofrmation and disengagement of airvent snap.

Referring to FIG. 1, an Air Conditioning (AC) System of the vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the presnt invention is shown. The system (100) includes a rear AC unit (10), a duct (20), a Body In White (BIW) (30), a Rear Quarter Trim part (RQT part) (40) , an air vent snap protector device (50) and an air vent (60). The rear AC unit (10) is fixed on the BIW (30). The BIW (30) has two pillar trims (32, 34) configured at upper portion of BIW (30). The rear AC unit (10) provides cooled air to the duct (20) attached thereto. The BIW (30) is attached to the RQT part (40). The RQT part (40) has at least one air vent (60) configured thereon.

Referring to FIG. 2, the cooled air generated by the rear AC unit (10) is provided to the air vent (60) through the duct (20). The system includes the rear AC unit (10) for generating cool air. The duct (20) receives cool air from the rear AC unit (10). The BIW (30) is placed at first side of the duct (20).The RQT part (40) is placed at second side of the duct (20). The air vent (60) is configured at outlet portion of the duct (20). The air vent snap protecting device (50) is integrated to the RQT part (40) at a contact portion of the the air vent (60). The air vent snap protecting device (50) comprises a snap bridge (51) for avoiding deflection of the air vent (60) and a protector (52) for protecting air vent (60) from direct contact with the duct (20).

Referring to FIG. 3 and 4 represent the system (100) of the present invention with air vent snap protecting device (50) in working configuration in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The air vent snap protecting device (50) is integrated to RQT part (40) at the contact portions of the Airvent (60). It is to be noted here that shape, configuration and material of the snap protecting deviceis suitably selected. The placement of the air vent snap protecting device (50) eliminates collision of the duct (20) with the air vent (60) therby eliminating poping out of air vents (60) from RQT part (40). The air vent snap protecting device (50) are positioned at rear side of the air vent (60) preferably, at each snap fit contact of the air vent (60) with the Rear Quarter trim part (40) of the body. In accordance with an embodiment, at least the pair of the air vent snap protecting device (50) is snap fitted from a predefined distamce from both the end portions of the air vent (60). It is understood here that number of air vent snap protecting device(50) depdends on the size of the air vents (60). Generally, the air vent snap protecting device (50) are positioned equidistantly through the opposite length of the air vent (60).

Referring to FIG. 5 In accordance with an embodiment, the air vent snap protecting device (50) has “U” shape having approximate dimensions 17 X 10 X 4 mm. The air vent snap protecting device (50) comprise a snap bridge (51) that avoids the deflection of the snap of airvent (60) and a protector (52) that protects airvent from direct contact with the duct (20). The protector( 52) integrally connect to the RQT part (40), In accordance with an embodiment, the protector (52) has two arms positioned in vertical configuratiuon at ends of the snap bridge (51). An end portions of the protector arms (52) have angled projections (52A). The angled projections (52A) of the protector arms (52) are configured at 85 to 95 degrees with the vertical portion of the arm (52). The Snap protecting device (50) ensures that the duct (20) does not hit to the snap of the airvent (60) and also gives support to the snap to avoid demofrmation and disengagement of snap of the airvent (60). The snap bridge (51) is contactless with snap fit of the air vent (60).

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the cross sectional views of the snap protecting device(50) in working configuration is shown. The in place configuration of the snap protecting device(50) shows that the end portion of the snap bridge (51) lies exactly at the midpoint of a core and a cavity of the duct (20) and air vent (60). The snap bridge (51) fits in contact with a bottam surface of a rear edge (62) of the air vent (60) and the protector (52) fits contacting a side and top surface of the rear edge (62) of the air vent (60) on RQT side (40). This fitment of the snap brideg and protector (50) with the air vent (60) with the RQT (40) and duct (20) avoids the arivent (60) pop out during stiffness analysis on RQT (40) and also the service requirements are meet.

The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.

Any discussion of devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.

While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation

,CLAIMS:
1. An air vent snap protecting device (50) for Air Conditioning (AC) system of a vehicle having a duct (20) receives cool air from a rear AC unit (10) and an air vent (60) snap fitted at outlet portion of the duct (20),
the snap protecting device (50) comprising a snap bridge (51) for separating snap-fit of the air-vent (60) from the duct (20); and a pair of protector arms (52) positioned in vertical configuratiuon at ends of the snap bridge (51) for integrally connecting to a Rear Quarter Trim Part (RQT) (40), said snap protecting device (50) protects snap-fit of the air vent (60) from direct contact with the duct (20).

2. The air vent snap protecting device (50) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device (50) is provided at each snap fit contact of the air vent (60) with the Rear Quarter trim part (40) of the body.

3. The air vent snap protecting device (50) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the snap snap protecting device (50) has U shape.

4. The air vent snap protecting device (50) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the snap bridge (51) fits in contact with a bottam surface of a rear edge (62) of the air vent (60) and the protector (52) fits contacting a side and top surface of the rear edge (62) of the air vent (60).

5. The air vent snap protecting device (50) as claimed in claim 3, wherein an end portions of the protector arms (52) have angled projections (52A).

6. The air vent snap protecting device (50) wherein the snap bridge (51) is contactless with snap fit of the air vent (60).

7. The air vent snap protecting device (50) wherein the snap bridge (51) allows instertion in a cavity of the snap fit at a predetermined distance for allowing easy removal of the snap fitted air vent (60).

8. The air vent snap protecting device (50) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the snap protecting device (50) is made up of flexible material.